Traditional vs Online Learning Wiki
Welcome to the Wiki In this wiki, we will discuss the similarities & differences between Traditional vs. Online Learning. We will explore topics of teaching methodologies, course materials, and overall learning experiences for both Traditional and Online Learning Environments. Enjoy! 'Traditional vs. Online Learning: ' Traditional Learning: Typically takes place in a classroom setting where students meet each day in the same place for a set amount of time. The teacher give live lectures and passes out assignments for students to fill in. Students participate in classroom discussions and turn in homework each day. According to Huson, "Traditional education is defined as teacher-centered delivery of instruction to classes of students who are the receivers of information" (n.d., para. 2). In Traditional learning, the students are all the same age and all live generally in the same neighborhood. Advantages~ Students receive one-on-one interaction with their teacher & classmates. If students want to interact with other classmates or their teacher then all they have to do is get up and start a conversation. Teachers can also give instructions by speaking to their students. They are also able to give advice right on the spot to their students. Students also benefit from the constant social interaction that they receive in the traditional classroom environment. Disadvantages~ Sometimes there can be a surplus of students in the classroom. This makes one-on-one instruction more difficult for Instructors. Teachers have more students to teach which means less time to help students individually understand content and learn material. Online Learning: According to the ASHE Higher Education Report (2014), "Online learning has been referred to as a type of distance education and as web-based learning, e-learning, and online education. Its definition is further confused by referring to discrete portions of a traditional, face-to-face, or on-campus class conducted online; a hybrid or blended class that uses both face-to-face and online learning techniques; and an all-online course" (p. 5). Advantages~ In Online Learning, students and teachers don't have to meet everyday at a set time & place. According to Luo, Pan, Choi, Mellish, & Strobel (2011), "Online learning allows learners to set aside time to complete readings and assignments and to communicate with instructors and classmates according to their own schedule" (p. 380). This way students and teachers can log-on to their online classrooms and interact via discussion boards. Another advantage to online learning is that students have more time & flexibility on their online course. According to Kenzig (2015), "online learning is attractive for a multitude of reasons, primarily the flexibility of being able to take a course at a time and place convenient to the asynchronous learner, depending on the format of the course (real-time synchronous lectures/lessons are the notable exception to this)" (p. 625). Disadvantages~ Students and teachers are separated from each other physically. They must use online communication tools such as, email, instant messaging, conferencing tools, or discussion boards. Without these communication tools, the class can be disconnected. There is also time in between responses that can slow down the learning process. Students have to rely on other online sources when their instructors don't respond to them. Teaching Methodologies: According to Teach.com, "The term teaching method refers to the general principles, pedagogy and management strategies used for classroom instruction" (n.d., para 1). Teaching Methodologies dictate how the Instructor is going to teach their students. The teaching methodologies vary from traditional education and online learning. Traditional Learning~ Teaching in a Traditional Classroom means having a teacher who creates lesson plans for day to day learning activities. They create lectures that they will give in front of their students and they also design activities where their students can demonstrate their knowledge to the class by giving live speeches, and presenting presentations to the entire class. Teachers adhere to specific school, district, state-wide, and national standards when creating lesson content. Teachers also must make sure to use strategies that are beneficial to students in the traditional classroom setting. This means that students should be given learning supports that support their in class development. Online Learning~ In Online Learning the teacher must focus on teaching to students from different places. According to Johnson, "To become an effective online instructor there must be thought given as to how the technological tools will be used, how to translate traditional communication into digital communication, and how to evolve from an instructor who stands in front of a class and directs the flow of conversations and interactions to someone who can facilitate and guide the learning process, while keeping students interested and engaged in the course" (2015, para 3). Being an online teacher means teaching to students who you can't see and speak to. Instructors much use text almost exclusively to communicate their tone, enthusiasm and feedback to students. Course Materials: Traditional Learning~ Typically the course materials in Traditional Learning are textbooks, notebooks, pencils, erasers, chalkboards, handouts, homework assignments, and workbooks. However, the classroom is also evolving to use Smartboards, Laptops, iPads, and other electronic devices as learning tools. Online Learning~ Online course materials include using a computer that has a digital copy of a syllabus, class assignments, and attendance check-in. Teachers use online presentations, links to videos, articles, and iconographic images. Instructors have more flexibility to use online content in their classes however, they are also limited in some cases to the type of materials they can share. If they want to use a textbook, they need to make sure that the pages are scanned and shared with their students. Overall Learning Experience: Traditional Learning~ The Traditional classroom experience is all about face-to-face interaction that shape the day-to-day learning experiences. The students create a sense of community by their physical interactions with their classmates and their teacher. Technology is used as a tool for presentations, and creating word documents or presentations. Students are taught by teachers and require the teacher guide the lessons they learn. Teachers create activities and students respond to them by completeing in class assignment and homework assignments. Online Learning~ The Online learning experience is created by a variety of online communication tools. The online classroom community can be made up of a variety of students. The learning activities can be synchronous & asynchronous. The students direct their online educational experience. Instructors give them feedback via messages & discussion posts. The online community is crafted via the comments posted in discussion forums by the Instructor and the students. The online learning experiences is driven by the student. The student can have more power over their learning experience. This means more responsibility for the student and the Instructor takes on a mentor role rather than a classroom teacher who give lessons. Students are exposed to online content via links to articles and online videos/presentations. Assignment Summary: The wiki Web address that I used was on fandom powered by wikia. Here is a link to my wiki site: http://traditional-vs-online-learning.wikia.com/wiki/Traditional_vs_Online_Learning_Wiki. The process of creating a wiki was at first challenging. I was initially frustrated by the fact that most wiki sites that I visited required that I pay for a membership. I also felt very intimidated by the task of actually creating the wiki. I felt fairly confident about the material that I wanted to write about on the wiki but actually entering it into the required structure was daunting and slightly scary. When I found this free wiki site it made things a lot less intimidating. The editing process was much more approachable. It was easy to insert images & videos into my wiki. In the end, I was able to locate a free wiki site that allowed me to create my wiki with ease. I look forward to making more wikis! References: Huson, J. A., (n.d.). The Advantages of Traditional Schools. Retrieved from http://education.seattlepi.com/advantages-traditional-schools-2140.html Johnson, B. A., (2015). Classroom vs. Online Teaching: Are Different Teaching Methods Required? Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/classroom-vs-online-teaching-can-you-use-same-methods-dr-bruce-a- Kenzig, M. J. (2015). Lost in translation: Adapting a face-to-face course into an online learning experience. Health Promotion Practice, 16(5), 625-628. doi:10.1177/1524839915588295 Luo, Y., Pan, R., Choi, J. H., Mellish, L., & Strobel, J. (2011). Why Choose Online Learning: Relationship of Existing Factors and Chronobiology. Journal Of Educational Computing Research, 45(4), 379-397. Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/doi/pdf/10.2190/EC.45.4.a Student Engagement in Online Learning: What Works and Why. (2014). ASHE Higher Education Report, 40(6), 1-14. doi:10.1002/aehe.20018 Teach.com. (n.d.). Teaching Methods. Retrieved from https://teach.com/what/teachers-teach/teaching-methods/ Latest activity Photos and videos are a great way to add visuals to your wiki. Find videos about your topic by exploring Fandom's Video Library. Category:Browse